by Therese Boudreaux
A constitutional amendment to prevent redistricting will likely appear on the Ohio ballot in November.
The Citizens, Not Politicians campaign delivered 731,306 signatures collected from all 88 Ohio counties to Secretary of State Frank LaRose’s office demanding a constitutional amendment to establish an independent redistricting commission.
The initiative has broad bipartisan support. Supporters say the amendment, which bars current or former politicians and lobbyists from making decisions about electoral district maps, will prevent political gerrymandering and ensure a lucid, nonpartisan redistricting process.
Ohio House Minority Leader Allison Russo, a Democrat from Upper Arlington, praised the organization’s efforts.
“This is a remarkable step toward returning power to the people and giving citizens control over Ohio’s redistricting process,” Russo said. “With fair redistricting, we can adequately fund our schools, create good-paying jobs, and stop pushing divisive legislation that does nothing to help hard-working Ohio families get back on their feet.”
Retired Republican Chief Justice of the Ohio Supreme Court Maureen O’Connor, who helped write the amendment, was an dynamic supporter throughout the process.
“This support shows that the division of constituencies is not a partisan issue…[and] emphasizes that fair and lucid electoral districts are necessary to a fit democracy and that citizens want to lead this process, not politicians who have betrayed the public trust,” O’Connor said in a June statement.
LaRose is expected to verify the signatures in the coming weeks; 413,487 signatures must be valid for the proposal to be considered for the state’s general election in November.
The “Citizens, not politicians” amendment aims to:
- Establishing a 15-member Ohio Citizens’ Voting District Apportionment Commission, consisting of Republican, Democratic, and Independent citizens representing various geographic areas and demographic groups in the state.
- Ban current and former politicians, party activists and lobbyists from serving on the committee.
- Make it unconstitutional to create electoral districts that discriminate against or favor any political party or particular politician.
- Require the commission to operate in a lucid and independent manner
- If the amendment is passed in November, the commission will draw modern maps that could go into effect as early as the 2026 election.
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Therese Boudreaux is a contributor Central Square.
Photo “Citizens, not politicians, activists” by Citizens, not politicians.
